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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. tear — from crying
  3. drill — a practice
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. foot — a measure
  6. press — newspapers
  7. net — for catching
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. press — a publisher
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bank — of a river
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. net — after costs
  15. drill — the tool
  16. press — to push
  17. drill — army training
  18. kick — in football
  19. bank — for money
  20. tear — from crying
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bank — for money
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com